Bad reputation can destroy businesses

When developing a local SEO campaign companies should remember the impact an online presence will have to a brand's reputation. Just as it is important for workers to maintain a high standard of service or product quality, it is equally important for a website's content and company's social media activity to demonstrate the same high standards in order to maintain a valued reputation in the industry.

When deploying an online marketing and SEO strategy, companies should be prepared for negative customer reviews. While no company wants to get a bad review, it is important employees understand the right and wrong ways to respond to criticism. If the company offers an aggressive response to the comment, it can end up hurting their business or causing irreversible damage to a brand's reputation.

SEO expert Cliff Stein shared a story of a restaurant owner who discovered less-than-favorable reviews of his establishment online, and decided to launch a two-year harassment campaign against the author of the review. Because the owner took the criticism too personally, he ended up in court facing charges pressed by the consumer. While that is an extreme scenario, other companies have likewise lost business due to the way a negative comment was handled online. It is best for a company to respond to negative feedback with appreciation and a promise to fix an error. Otherwise, no response to the feedback is a safe strategy.

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